


Never Have To Say Goodbye Again

by wontonto



Series: KuroBas March Madness [10]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Angst, Break Up, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Model Kise Ryouta, Pro Basketball Player Aomine Daiki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:41:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29817531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wontonto/pseuds/wontonto
Summary: Aomine moved to America shortly after graduating high school to hopefully be drafted by the NBA, leaving Kise in Japan to pursue his modeling career. Both agreed that being long-distance wouldn't be an issue, but even if a couple loves each other, insecurities arise and things are said that aren't meant.
Relationships: Aomine Daiki/Kise Ryouta
Series: KuroBas March Madness [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2188413
Comments: 10
Kudos: 17





	Never Have To Say Goodbye Again

Kise took a deep breath and made sure his hair was all in place and that his makeup was on point. Sure, he was just talking to his boyfriend, but he always wanted to look his best for Aomine. He was tired after a long shoot, but he knew that Aomine was going to be just as tired, considering the time difference. He just hoped that they’d be able to chat for a little bit. 

Being long-distance was hard, and they’d been having less and less time to talk, what with Aomine’s training schedule and Kise’s busy modeling career. It was taking a toll on Kise, and he knew it, but this was one of the only times that he’d be able to talk to Aomine for at least a week. And he wanted to talk to his boyfriend desperately. 

He turned on his computer and opened up their video chatting app. He smiled brightly and squeaked when he saw that Aomine was online. He quickly clicked on his name and excitedly waited for him to pick up. He made sure once more that his hair was perfect and shifted on the bed. 

“Hey,” Aomine’s groggy voice came from his headphones. 

“Aominecchi!” Kise chirped, a huge smile coming over his face at just hearing his boyfriend. God, he missed him. So much. 

When the video finally appeared, Aomine smiled at him sleepily. “Hi, Kise.” 

“Can you see me now?” Kise asked, nearly cracking his face in half with his smile now that he could see Aomine. 

"Yep, and you look as handsome as ever.” 

“Aominecchi...! You can’t just say that!” Kise pouted, though he was glad that Aomine had noticed his extra effort. 

“I can, and I did,” Aomine smiled cockily, the look in his eyes softening. “How are you doing?” 

“I had a long shoot today, so I’m a little tired, and I haven’t eaten dinner yet. I was too excited to chat and didn’t want you to stay up too late.” 

“You’re so sweet, but I’m a big boy, I can handle a little sleep deprivation,” Aomine chuckled. God, Kise had missed his laugh. 

He wanted to fly to America and embrace his boyfriend in the biggest hug ever and just never leave. But Aomine was over there hoping to get drafted into the NBA, and Kise supported him in that, one hundred percent. Even if it meant that they were apart from each other for a while. Even if that “while” was over a year and counting. 

And it didn’t help that Kise had his own modeling career to think about. He couldn’t just fly over to America without going through a ton of paperwork and making sure his agent was okay with it, and... 

“Oh, is that Kise?” a familiar voice came from the background on Aomine’s side. 

“Yeah, what of it?” Aomine raised an eyebrow, looking over his laptop. 

“Kagamicchi!!!” Kise smiled. “Come say hello to me!” 

“Hey, I thought you called to talk to _me,_ not my obnoxious roommate,” Aomine playfully rolled his eyes. 

“How can I not say hello, it’s been forever since I've seen him!” Kise laughed lightheartedly, though he felt anything but. “Even longer than it’s been since I’ve seen you.” _Whoops._ That had come out with more venom that Kise had meant it to. Hopefully Aomine didn’t pick up on that. 

Kise was sure in his relationship with Aomine, but having his boyfriend live on the other side of the world with another guy that he may or may not have had a fling with in high school, he started to worry. He couldn’t help the tendrils of doubt that wormed their way into his heart sometimes when he saw Kagami with Aomine. 

He wasn’t sure if it was jealousy or insecurity, but either way he didn’t like it. It was ironic how attached he’d gotten to Aomine, considering he’d always said that he didn’t like overly clingy people. And here he was, getting jealous and clingy over Aomine. 

“Hey, pretty boy!” Kagami greeted, slinging his arm over Aomine’s shoulder and giving Kise a large smile. 

“Hi, Kagamicchi!” Kise grinned back. A part of him had to admit that they looked awfully comfortable around each other, but it could just be because they were teammates and roommates now. “I guess Aominecchi is keeping you in line, since you’re still living together?” 

“What?! As if! If anything, I’m the one who has to keep this asshole in line!” Kagami grinned, affectionately giving Aomine a noogie. 

“Yeah, yeah, you’ve said your greetings now let me have some peace with my boyfriend, you moron,” Aomine snorted, prying Kagami off of him. 

“Good to see you, Kise,” Kagami waved and walked away. 

“Sorry,” Aomine smiled sheepishly. “I didn’t think he’d be awake.” 

“It’s fine,” Kise shook his head, making sure to smile. 

Aomine cocked his head to the side. “You okay?” 

“Yep, fine. But tell me about practices and stuff! How are you getting along with your team?” 

Aomine’s eyes lit up and Kise’s heart soared. Not many things could get Aomine to brighten up like that. And of course it was basketball that made him absolutely glow with happiness. 

That’s why he was over in America, Kise had to remind himself. 

“They’ve been so great lately! Me and the captain have gotten a little closer, which is awesome, because that means I’m pretty much a shoo-in for next season! He’s given me a lot of pointers on how to get better and how to use my teammates – or, no, not _use_ them, but like... utilize them, I guess is the better word! And it’s just... _God,_ Kise, I'm learning so much and I love every single second of it.” 

He’d been gesturing wildly and he was _so_ excited and Kise wanted nothing more than to kiss those smiling lips of his. 

“That’s so good to hear, Aominecchi,” he smiled, from the bottom of his heart. 

“But y’know what?” Aomine said softly, his smile turning a bit melancholy. 

“What?” 

“I really miss you.” 

Those words yanked at Kise’s heartstrings and he couldn’t hide the surprised gasp that left his mouth. 

“What, you doubt that I'd miss you?” Aomine chuckled. “I’m hurt.” 

“No, it’s not that, I just...” Kise bit his lip. “You’re over there to become the star of the NBA.” 

“Yeah, so? I can’t miss my boyfriend?” 

Kise ran a hand through his hair. “Never mind, I just...” 

“Just say you miss me too and then we can get to the good part,” Aomine winked seductively at him. 

Kise snorted out a laugh and ran his hand through his fringe. “Okay, yes, I do miss you, a lot. And I just...” He sighed. “I love you.” 

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Aomine asked quietly, his voice a low rumble. “You’re acting a little weird.” 

Kise took a deep breath. He hadn’t wanted to get into this right now, or at all, but of course his boyfriend knew him better than anyone else. He wasn’t able to hide anything from him after all. 

“I just...” Kise bit his lip. “Daiki, I’m... it’s hard to see you with Kagami sometimes...” 

Aomine’s eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean?” 

“I just... I’m worried that you’re living with Kagami... And, y’know, that whole weird rivalry thing you had with him in high school.” 

“Okay, first of all, _you and I_ had a weird rivalry thing in high school. Kagami didn’t have anything to do with it.” 

“Well, yeah, but... What we had definitely wasn’t the same as what you and Kagami had. I mean... it was like you were competing for the top spot and I was always left behind and just...” 

Aomine ran a hand through his hair, letting out a tired sigh. “Just say what you mean to say, Kise. It’s too late to beat around the bush like this.” 

Kise bit his lip and didn’t look at the screen. “Are you... sleeping with Kagami?” 

Aomine’s eyebrows shot up. _“Excuse me?!”_

He was _flabbergasted._ He’d never _once_ thought about Kagami that way. Sure, they’d had a flirtationship thing in high school, but that was before he and Kise were dating. And Kagami was his best guy friend. That’s why they lived together, for fuck’s sake! 

“No, I didn’t...” Kise groaned. “That came out the wrong way.” 

“So you think that I'm just going to fuck whoever I live with because it’s convenient for me?!” 

_“No!_ Stop putting words in my mouth! I never said that!” 

“You point blank _just_ asked me if I was sleeping with _Kagami_ of all fucking people! Kise, where is this coming from? What the hell?!” 

Kise rubbed his hands down his face, forgetting he was wearing makeup and definitely smeared it. 

Not wanting to Aomine to see him like that, especially as distraught as he was, he figured he should just end the call and they could talk about it later. “Look, you’re tired, I'm sure it’s been a long day for you, I’ll talk to you later.” 

“You can’t just accuse me of cheating and then say goodbye, Kise, what the fuck?!” Aomine was on the verge of shouting. 

“Go to bed, Daiki. I love you,” Kise shook his head and hung up the call without waiting for a response from Aomine. 

He also closed the app and his laptop. He flopped back onto his bed and pressed the palms of his hands against his eyelids. Well, that hadn’t gone well _at all._

That was kind of how their conversations had been going lately, though. Maybe the distance was getting to them more than Kise had thought it would. Maybe it would be best if... 

His stomach growled, jerking him out of that train of thought, thankfully. He didn’t want to be alone when he ate dinner, though. He knew that being alone would make those thoughts come back. 

So he grabbed his phone and called Takao. 

“Kise! Hey! it’s been a while!” he greeted happily. 

“Hey, Takaocchi,” Kise smiled a little. Talking with Takao always made him feel a little bit better. “Are you doing anything tonight?” 

“Mmm, nothing other than binging my shows and eating nachos in my underwear on the couch. Why?” 

Kise huffed out a laugh at those plans. “I take it Midorimacchi is at the hospital tonight, then?” 

“Yeah, he’s got the night shift. But seriously, what’s up?” 

“I just don’t want to be alone tonight...” 

“Say less and get your ass over here. I’ll make some more nachos, babe.” 

“But I shouldn’t eat that kind of –” 

“You’re allowed cheat days, sweetheart, now shut up and come over!” 

There wasn’t any room for argument as Takao just hung up. 

Kise chuckled and slipped into some more comfortable clothes before putting his phone in his pocket. He noticed an unread message, probably from Aomine about how he was avoiding the issue, but he didn’t want to deal with that right now. He wanted to have a relaxing boy’s night with one of his best friends. 

Just for good measure, he put on a beanie and glasses to disguise himself. He knew that accidentally leading a trail of fans to Midorima’s place would _not_ be appreciated by him at all. 

As soon as he knocked, Takao flung the door open and quickly hustled Kise into the apartment. 

That didn’t mean that he wouldn’t make fun of Kise’s getup, though. 

“Shut up, you know I've got to disguise myself when I go out in public,” Kise rolled his eyes as Takao laughed at him. “Now, where are those nachos I was promised?” 

“Go settle down on the couch, I’ve got our shitty show pulled up already.” 

“You’re the best, Takaocchi,” Kise smiled, flopping down on the couch in front of the TV. On the screen was some dumb reality drama they liked making fun of together, and it was just the mindless activity that Kise needed tonight. 

He didn’t want to think about how he might’ve just broken up with his boyfriend over some misunderstanding that _he_ caused. 

Takao noticed the look on Kise’s face and put the huge plate of nachos in front of them on the coffee table. “Okay, let’s get this nacho party started!” he cheered, starting up the show. 

He knew that Kise didn’t want to talk right now and just needed company. He was very willing to supply that to his friend. Kise cuddled close to him, something that they did regularly, and Takao appreciated it. They were both physically affectionate people, and neither of them always got the affection they needed from their boyfriends (since Aomine was in a completely different country and Midorima was a doctor and worked many more hours than he really needed to), so they sought it out from each other. 

Midorima and Aomine were both okay with it, they knew that the two were very good friends. Though it was odd for Kise to not want to talk about anything and just watch their show. He was just thankful that Takao wasn’t one to pry if Kise didn’t want him to. 

After an episode and two-thirds of the plate of nachos, Kise shifted so he could snuggle a little more against Takao. “Hey, Takaocchi?” he started quietly. 

Takao hummed, shoving a chip into his mouth. “What’s up?” he asked around his mouthful of food. 

“Do you think... Am I hot?” 

Takao stared at Kise for a moment before grabbing his beer and opening it. “First of all, bitch, _what?!_ Have you seen yourself in the mirror? You are literally a model, Kise. Any person would be lucky to have you and Aomine is like the luckiest man on earth because you’re dating him.” 

“You think so?” Kise bit his lip, fiddling with his fingers. 

“Duh, I wouldn’t say so if I didn’t. But why’re you asking that all of a sudden? Did you and Aomine have a fight or something?” 

“Yeah, I...” Kise sighed. “I didn’t mean to, but I kind of accused him of sleeping with Kagami while they’re over in America together.” 

“What the fuck, why would you say that?” Takao drew back, making Kise look him in the eyes. 

“I don’t know! I just... I miss him, okay? And I thought that maybe you’d get that cause Midorimacchi’s always at the hospital, but apparently I was wrong,” Kise huffed. “Fine, guess I’ll just go home again and drown my sorrows there by myself!” 

Takao grabbed Kise’s wrist before he could storm out of the apartment. “Wait, Kise, I’m sorry, I just...” he sighed. “You and Aomine have been going strong just about as long as me and Shin-chan, so I just wondered why you would even think that.” 

Kise leaned back onto the couch and grabbed another chip from the platter of nachos before crunching on it thoughtfully. “I just... I miss him a lot, Takaocchi. And I know that he wouldn’t ever cheat on me; he’s not like that. I _know_ that, but there’s... he and Kagamicchi are a lot closer, obviously cause they live together. I would never make him move out because I don’t want him to think I don’t trust him, I just...” 

“Just tell him that, you dummy,” Takao rolled his eyes. “I’ve seen the way Aomine looks at you and, trust me, it is _disgusting._ Like, I'm sorry, but I'm kinda glad you’re in an LDR because if you lived together, you would be the most unbearable couple ever.” 

“You are so mean, Takaocchi.” Kise smiled and threw an olive at Takao, who caught it in his mouth. 

“I’m just saying,” Takao shrugged. 

“Yeah, I know, it’s just... you and Midorimacchi haven’t had to deal with this distance and it just _sucks.”_

“Then why not talk to someone who does understand the distance?” 

Kise’s eyebrows furrowed. “You mean Kurokocchi?” 

“Duh, who else would I be talking about?” Takao rolled his eyes. 

“But he doesn’t ever respond to my texts,” Kise pouted. “I doubt he’d want to bond over how much we miss our boyfriends.” 

“Why not ask him, though? He’s already on his way over.” 

“What?” 

Takao showed Kise his phone screen that had a conversation with Kuroko pulled up. Sure enough, he’d asked Kuroko to come over to help soothe Kise’s worries, and he was coming. 

Kise narrowed his eyes. “You’re sneaky, Takaocchi.” 

Takao grinned. “Of course. Guess I’ll have to make more nachos, though.” 

He ran back to the kitchen and Kise heard him rustling around. He smiled and was grateful that he had such good friends. And Takao was right; Kise was being extremely irrational about this whole situation, but he hadn’t seen Aomine in _so long._ He was sick and tired of the video calls. He wanted to hold his boyfriend, he wanted to kiss him... 

He took out his phone and looked at the message Aomine sent him. 

_**Aominecchi:** I’m fucking livid at you right now. Literally what the fuck, Kise. You can’t just say that and bounce. I love YOU. Okay? Fuck. Just... I love you._

Kise’s heart constricted and he bit his lip. It had been nearly an hour and a half since Aomine had sent it, and he figured he’d probably be asleep by now. He sighed and sent a quick message back. 

_**Kise:** You’d better be asleep when I send this, but... I love you too. And I'm sorry I overreacted... Let me gather my thoughts and then we can talk about it later? Please?_

He wasn’t expecting a response, but sending the apology and the affirmation of love made him feel better. Aomine did deserve better than someone who got so worked up over a long-distance relationship. Maybe he did deserve someone like Kagami. 

But if they _did_ get together, that would break Kuroko just as much as it would Kise, and he wouldn’t wish that on _anyone,_ least of all one of his best friends. He groaned and ran a hand through his hair. 

“Stop thinking so loud, Kise-kun,” Kuroko said from right beside him. 

Kise jumped, letting out a yelp. “Kurokocchi! When did you get here?!” 

“A few minutes ago. Takao-kun let me in.” 

“Jeez, don’t startle me like that. It’s been a while since that’s happened.” 

Kuroko shrugged, grabbing some nachos. “Takao-kun kind of told me what happened. And so did Kagami-kun.” 

Kise blinked. “What? Why would Kagamicchi know?” 

“Aomine-kun isn’t one to keep secrets very well, Kise-kun. You of all people should know that.” 

“Okay, yeah, but...” Kise bit his lip. Why did Aomine have to go blabbing to Kagami about their relationship? Then again, thinking about it, he wasn’t much better; he’d gone to Takao right away. But that didn’t give Kuroko an excuse to butt in too! 

“C’mon, Kise, lighten up a little,” Takao came back into the living room and nudged Kise when he sat back down on the couch. “Let’s just have some fun, the three of us, yeah?” 

“Fine, I guess,” Kise sighed, though it wasn’t as forced as he wanted the other two to believe. 

… 

The next morning, Kise awoke when he felt himself being shaken. He let out a disgruntled sound and burrowed further into whatever he was resting on. 

“C’mon, Kise, you gotta get up sometime in the morning, even though it's almost not morning anymore,” he heard someone say. 

“Mmm, _nooooo,”_ he groaned. “Go ‘way.” 

“Kise-kun, you’re suffocating me,” a deadpan voice came from the pillow he was cuddling. 

His half-asleep mind couldn’t quite form sentences yet, so all he really managed to say was, “Kocchi.” 

Raucous laughter came next, and Kise finally started to figure out what was going on. He, Kuroko, and Takao had all fallen asleep in a big dogpile on the couch. 

“Alright, princess, but you’re gonna regret not getting up, that’s for sure,” Takao smirked and smacked the back of Kise’s head. 

“Kise-kun, please let go,” Kuroko’s voice was rather strained as Kise kept hugging him tightly. 

“Noooo, I’m too comfy,” Kise snuggled into Kuroko’s chest. 

“I am not a substitute for Aomine-kun, Kise-kun.” 

Those words were like a bucket of cold water splashed on Kise. He shot up, immediately releasing his unwilling human pillow. “Sorry, Kurokocchi,” he said quietly, leaning back on the couch. 

“It’s not that I don’t appreciate the skinship, I miss Kagami-kun just like you miss Aomine-kun,” he shrugged. “But that doesn’t give you the excuse to accuse _both_ of them of being unfaithful.” 

“I know! Look, I’m sorry Kurokocchi! I already apologized to Aominecchi too! I just... Aren’t you a little nervous sometimes because Kagamicchi’s so far away? Don’t you miss him?” 

“Of course I miss him. But I trust him. And I trust Aomine-kun. The least you can do is the same.” 

Kise bit his lip. He hated that Kuroko was right, and he hated himself for being so insecure. He didn’t even know _why_ he was thinking like this. Aomine had never given him any reason to think that he’d be unfaithful. If anything, Aomine was the most loyal person Kise had ever dated. He figured it was just the distance that was doing this to him, though he'd never in a million years ask Aomine to move back. 

And not that he’d really been in many relationships, but he knew that he and Aomine were end game. They were going to make anything work between them, and sure, sometimes they had petty fights. And sometimes maybe _not_ so petty fights. But they always got through it together. This was just another hurdle that they had to clear, together. 

He checked his phone to see if Aomine had responded to his text, a little unsure if he was ready to see whatever scathing remark he might’ve left. 

But he was pleasantly surprised when he saw the message. 

_**Aominecchi:** I know, I love you too. I didn’t mean to come off that dickish, either. You DO know that I would never sleep with Kagami, right? I’d never hurt you like that. And he’d never hurt Tetsu like that._

_**Kise:** I know, I'm sorry. I just got insecure. Can we talk today, soon?_

_**Aominecchi:** Of course. I'll let you know when I'm free, ok? I love you._

_**Kise:** I love you too. So much._

He sighed and then blinked at his phone. Aomine didn’t usually text him this much right away. Usually he took forever to respond and their conversations spanned over the time frame of many hours with Kise texting right away. 

Something was weird. 

He bit his lip at the realization. He hadn’t really ever had Aomine text him this much in such a short time span and he wasn’t sure what to do with that information. Maybe it was Aomine’s way of communicating that he really did want to make up. After all, he did say that they’d talk later. 

“You’re thinking too loud again, Kise,” Takao said, yanking him out of his thoughts with a rap on the head with his knuckle. 

“Stop, Takaocchi!” Kise waved his friend off. “I’m having a moment with my boyfriend!” 

“Well, some of us couldn’t care less,” Midorima said from the kitchen, where he was grabbing something from the fridge. 

“Midorimacchi! When did you get home?!” Kise smiled brightly. 

“While you three were still asleep,” Midorima sniffed. “And I had to clean up your mess because you acted like toddlers. Falling asleep on the couch all together, unbelievable.” 

“C’mon, Midorimacchi, don’t be jealous because you wanted to join us,” Kise pouted at him. 

“I am not, in fact, jealous,” he rolled his eyes. “In any case, Kise, I want you out of my house as soon as possible before you cause an even bigger mess.” 

“What, why?! Kurokocchi was a part of the mess too! And you didn’t kick him out!” 

“Because Kuroko left of his own accord, no doubt to leave you to clean up your own mess.” 

“But you just said to leave! Do you want me to clean up or just leave?!” Kise whined, flopping back down on the couch. 

“C’mon, Shin-chan, can’t you have a little mercy on him? He’s going through a rough patch with Aomine,” Takao pouted at his boyfriend. 

Midorima rolled his eyes, rummaging through the fridge again. “I do not really care how your relationship is going, if I’m being honest, Kise. I just want you out of my apartment so I don’t have to hear your wailing over how much you miss him.” 

“Fine, I guess I’ll go home,” Kise pouted. “Bye Takaocchi! We should do this again!” 

The two embraced and wailed like star-crossed lovers who would never see each other again. Midorima was not amused and shooed Kise out of the apartment even more forcefully. 

Kise clicked his tongue when Midorima practically slammed the door in his face. “You’re so mean, Midorimacchi!” he yelled before walking away. 

He put his hands in his pockets to make himself look more casual and made his way back to his own apartment. He looked at his phone again, wondering if Aomine had said something else yet. But taking into account the time difference, he realized that he probably was going to bed soon. Jeez, he really hated time zones. Or, he supposed, he hated the fact that his boyfriend lived in a completely different country all the way across the world. 

But he’d known that Aomine’s passion was basketball, so he couldn’t prevent him from going to the source. He couldn’t be so selfish as to make his boyfriend stay just for him; because he was insecure. 

He pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes for a moment to ground himself. Those kinds of thoughts wouldn’t get him anywhere, so why was he dwelling on them? 

He just had to talk this through with Aomine and then they’d be fine again. They could do long-distance. They were solid in their relationship, that much Kise knew. They loved each other enough that distance was nothing to them. 

As soon as he got to his apartment, he noticed an extra pair of shoes. They were nice Jordans, but... there was no way that Aomine would be in his apartment, right? He had training, and that's why they'd been so out of touch lately. But no one else he knew wore those kinds of shoes. Unless one of his sisters had suddenly started wearing very large shoes. But that was unlikely. 

“Hello?” he called out cautiously, unsure of who would be in his apartment. 

He didn’t get a response, which warranted a bit of panic. He was strong, though, and he could take whoever broke in. He peeked around the corner of the living room and his breath caught in his throat. 

There, laying on the couch, was his boyfriend, _who should be in America._ He was right there. One arm was over his eyes, and Kise could tell he was snoozing, probably from jet lag. 

He walked over, his hands shaking. He hadn’t seen Aomine in person for so long, he was inclined to almost believe that he was hallucinating him. He gently brushed his hand over Aomine’s forearm and bit his lip, feeling his eyes well up with tears. He was _here._ Aomine had come home. 

He knew that Aomine was a heavy sleeper, so a part of him wasn’t sure if even laying on top of him would wake him up. But he didn’t really want to wake him up, if he was being honest. He was content to just cuddle with his boyfriend on the couch. He moved Aomine’s arm that was resting on his stomach so he could get under it and gently laid down on top of Aomine. 

Aomine’s arm seemed to instinctively grip around Kise’s waist, which he loved. He put his cheek against Aomine’s solid chest and listened to his steady heartbeat, closing his eyes. _He’d missed this so much._ Just being able to be close to his lover made him feel like there was sunshine in his chest. 

“I love you so much,” he said softly. 

He felt Aomine shift slightly, his other arm coming down to join the one circled around Kise’s waist. He felt snug and so comfortable in Aomine’s hold, he didn’t want to move ever again. It had been far too long and he dreaded when Aomine would go back. He didn’t even know how long he’d be here for. 

He adjusted his head so he could look at his handsome boyfriend’s face and smiled. He always looked adorable when he was sleeping, but Kise knew that they should talk sooner or later. And if he just let Aomine sleep, he’d probably sleep into the next day. 

He flicked Aomine’s nose, hoping that would be enough. Aomine’s nose twitched and a few moments later his eyes opened into slits, groggily waking up. 

He grumbled wordlessly and Kise smiled. “Morning, sunshine,” he chirped quietly. 

“You’re the sunshine, damn,” Aomine muttered, moving his hand so he could put it against Kise’s cheek. “I’m so happy to see you.” 

Kise leaned into the tender touch, closing his eyes to prevent the tears from leaking out. “Why are you here?” 

“Why do you think I'm here? I wanted to set some things straight after our last conversation. Now you can’t just hang up on me and run away.” 

“Okay, yeah, that was really shitty of me, but you didn’t have to fly all the way back here. I mean, what about your training?” 

“Coach said it was fine.” 

Kise raised an eyebrow. “I find that very hard to believe.” 

“Okay, I kind of just sent him a text that I was coming back home because of an emergency.” 

“Mmhmm, there’s the truth. Why did you say that, though?” 

“Because this needs to be addressed, Kise, and I think it is kind of an emergency to our relationship.” Aomine sat up, bringing Kise with him so Kise was straddling him. “Why would you think I'm sleeping with Bakagami?” 

Kise looked anywhere but at Aomine, pursing his lips. “I just... I didn’t, really, it was just something I said out of... insecurity?” 

“But why? You’re literally the most beautiful person ever and I love you so much.” 

“I love you too, and I shouldn’t have said it. I just... I hadn’t seen you in person for so long, and I got scared that you’d want someone closer. And that someone closer was Kagamicchi. Cause you live with each other, y’know.” 

Aomine hummed, gently cupping Kise’s cheeks. “Look at me, Ryouta,” he said quietly. 

He knew that when Aomine used his first name, he meant business. And when Kise looked into his eyes, he saw nothing but complete adoration. “I know this long-distance thing is hard on you, it’s really hard on me too. I really hate not being able to be with you, and that’s why I've been maybe pushing myself too hard lately. I get so stressed without you and I can’t call you whenever I want because of the stupid time zones and I can’t hear your voice whenever I want because I know you’re busy with your own job. And I just... What if I just moved back here?” 

His question was a whisper, and Kise didn’t like how Aomine’s hands shook against his cheeks, like he was afraid that Kise would make him do that. 

“What?! No! Don’t be stupid! The NBA has been your dream for forever, and I'm not going to let you just throw it away like that! Not for me. No.” 

Aomine chuckled, gently pressing his forehead against Kise’s. “You’re so quick to think of me instead of what you want.” 

“But... I just want you to be happy. And if being in America in the NBA is what makes you happy, then that’s okay with me.” 

Aomine raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that? What makes _you_ happy?” 

Kise bit his lip. They hadn’t really had this conversation, and he didn’t really _want_ to, if he was being honest. “I... I want to be with you. But I have my career here. And you have your career in America And you’re really happy there. Don’t even try to deny it, because I see it all the time. And I'm happy here. And I just... I’m not sure what the best move is here.” 

Aomine’s smile turned a bit mischievous. “You could try breaking into the US modeling industry.” 

Kise snorted. “As if I could make it there.” 

“I don’t think any of the models could hold a candle to your handsomeness, honestly.” 

“I doubt the beauty industry over there would say the same. And... I don’t want to move to America. I’m comfortable here, and I don’t really see myself ever moving there and...” Kise sighed. “Are you thinking what I'm thinking?” 

Aomine took a deep breath. “We’re just holding each other back, aren’t we?” 

Those words sent a knife through Kise’s heart and he couldn’t help the few tears that escaped. “Yeah, I think you’re right. I guess that’s kind of what made me so insecure. Like you’re such a shining star over there and I’d never be able to match up if I moved there,” he said softly. “But I love you so much, and...” 

“I know, I love you too,” Aomine brushed Kise’s cheek with his hand. “I love you so much, and I wish that we could work this out, but... We’ve got to think of ourselves and our careers, don’t we?” 

Kise nodded. “Yeah, we do, but...” 

“I love you so much, Kise,” he whispered, pressing the softest kiss against Kise’s lips. 

“I wish that...” 

“Shh, no what ifs, okay? How about we go out with a bang, yeah?” 

Kise let out a watery laugh. “Only you would think about having sex in a moment like this, and phrase it like that.” 

“C’mon, just one last time?” Aomine gave him a cocky smirk, but Kise could see the sadness hidden behind it. “Unless you don’t think you can take it?” 

“I mean, I don’t really think I can, honestly,” Kise smiled at him forlornly. “You’re never soft, and if you’re soft now, I'll cry even more.” 

“Fine, then, it doesn’t have to be soft. I can give you the best fucking of your life. To remember me by.” 

Kise threw his arms around Aomine’s neck and laughed. “Show me what you’ve got.” 

… 

True to his word, Aomine was anything but soft and sappy. Even though he wasn’t, Kise had shed a few tears that Aomine had pretended not to notice. 

He was sore right after, but the best kind of sore. As they laid in the afterglow, Kise ran his finger down the bridge of Aomine’s nose. 

“That enough to satisfy you?” he smirked, though it didn’t reach his eyes. He was just as torn up as Kise about how this whole situation had ended up. 

“Yeah, I think you’ve ruined me for any other man,” Kise chuckled.

“Nah, I think you’ll find someone else who’s better for you than I could ever be.” 

Kise didn’t want to think about that. He didn’t want to think about being with anyone other than Aomine. Not when they were a perfect match. Not when they knew each other better than anyone else knew them. 

Kise pressed a kiss to Aomine’s lips before he drew back. “Are you going back to America soon?” 

“I think that’s probably best, wouldn’t you say? I do... actually have a ticket to go back tonight.” 

“Ah, then... you thought this through before you suddenly flew back.” 

“I’ve been... kind of thinking about it for a while, y’know? We’ve been drifting. You’ve felt that too, haven’t you?” 

Kise nodded, taking a shaky breath. “Yeah, we have... It really sucks, doesn’t it?” 

“Yeah. And I love you so much, and I don’t want... I don’t want you to be held back by me.” 

Kise took a deep breath and managed a small smile. “Yeah. That’s kinda just how it goes, huh? We’ll still... be friends, though, won’t we?” 

“I’ll still buy all your photobooks and pay the price to have them shipped overseas, one hundred percent,” Aomine chuckled. “Just as long as you still watch my games whenever you can, okay?” 

“Of course, and if I can’t watch them live, then I'll watch a recording later and text you all about it!” Kise clenched his fist in promise. 

Aomine nodded, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. “I’d love that.” 

They laid in silence for a few more minutes, basking in each other’s presence before Aomine tore himself from Kise’s grip. “I should go. I want to see Tetsu and Satsuki would kill me if she found out I came back and didn’t see her.” 

“Yeah, you should. I don’t want to keep you for the entire time you’re here,” Kise nodded. He could feel the tears coming unbidden. He swiped his eyes when Aomine’s back was turned as he grabbed his clothes, and _goddamn_ he had a nice back. Especially when it was scratched up by Kise’s nails. He turned away after Aomine put on his shirt and snuggled into his pillow to hide his tears. “Text me when you get back to America, though, okay? Just to let me know you’re safe and sound.” 

“Of course,” Aomine nodded. He turned around, looking at Kise spread out like some kind of sex god, hiding his face. He coughed awkwardly. “Guess I’ll see myself out, then. Bye, Kise.” 

Kise desperately wanted Aomine to come back to bed, to be with him for forever, but he knew that he wouldn’t. He knew that this was the hardest decision both of them had ever had to make, and it was the right decision. Even if it felt like the wrong one, Kise knew that down the road, trying to keep their fire going would only lead to more problems. 

He supposed that his slip-up had been good for them. It made them think about their relationship more rationally instead of like the lovestruck teenagers they’d been when they’d gotten together. They were adults with their own lives, and they had responsibilities to themselves. 

As soon as he heard his front door shut softly, he burst into tears, muffling his sobs into the pillow. He was one hundred percent certain that Aomine was the love of his life. But they’d chosen their separate ways, and that’s all there was to it. He tried not to think of the what-ifs and desperately tried to fight the looming darkness in his heart. 

He took out his phone and called his agent, determined to make the best of this. He’d become the best model in Japan, just like Aomine was set out to be the best basketball player in the NBA. Anything less than the best was unacceptable. He _was_ going to be the best because if he wasn’t, then the past few hours will have all been for nothing.

**Author's Note:**

> i almost cried writing this so i hope you all felt that.


End file.
